Download or read book The Effect of Abiotic and Genetic Constraints on Demographic Persistence Limiting Species Ranges in Endemic Species written by Andrea Lorraine Dixon and published by . This book was released on 2014 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Taken together, this work advances our understanding of the evolutionary processes underlying population responses to ecological constraints. These processes explain not only how species ranges are currently shaped but help predict how species will respond to a changing climate.
Download or read book Evolutionary Ecology of Range Limits written by and published by . This book was released on 2014 with total page 388 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Understanding the environmental, demographic, and evolutionary processes underlying species' range limits (RLs) is a primary goal of ecology, and increasingly important for conservation in a world of changing species distributions. This thesis addresses three of the most pressing questions: whether RLs typically reflect niche or dispersal constraints; whether generalizations regarding the limiting niche constraints are possible; and how the processes underlying current RLs might affect future RLs. First, I conducted a meta-analysis of transplant experiments beyond species' ranges, which can directly test the first questions. Performance declined beyond the range for 75% of 111 tests, confirming the broad importance of underlying niche constraints. Results supported the long-proposed but seldom-tested hypothesis that biotic interactions are especially important at low-elevation/equatorial RLs. However, dispersal caused frequent (ca. 50%) mismatches between range and niche limits, often constraining geographic distributions, while extending elevational RLs. Second, I construct a theoretical framework exploring how selection on dispersal varies across species ranges, and how this affects current and future RLs. Whereas dispersal should always increase along invasion fronts, its evolution is likely constrained during expansion of native species, and may play a decisive role in maintaining genetic diversity at RLs contracting due to climate change. Local adaptation to a shifting environmental gradient could select for increased dispersal throughout the range, including contracting limits. Third, I test the importance of niche vs. dispersal constraints and the demographic, environmental and evolutionary patterns underlying the elevational RLs of the annual herb Rhinanthus minor L. Multi-generation demographic surveys of natural populations spanning four range-wide transects reveal that population productivity (net reproductive rate NRR and seed production/m2) declined toward both limits, reflecting low reproductive success at high elevations, but early life-stage failure at low elevations. Surveys suggested an increasing role of competition, but not herbivory, toward the lower RL. A 3-yr reciprocal transplant experiment confirmed that strong niche constraints underlie R. minor's RLs, as all sources failed beyond both limits (NRR
Download or read book Habitat Suitability and Distribution Models written by Antoine Guisan and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2017-09-14 with total page 513 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book introduces the key stages of niche-based habitat suitability model building, evaluation and prediction required for understanding and predicting future patterns of species and biodiversity. Beginning with the main theory behind ecological niches and species distributions, the book proceeds through all major steps of model building, from conceptualization and model training to model evaluation and spatio-temporal predictions. Extensive examples using R support graduate students and researchers in quantifying ecological niches and predicting species distributions with their own data, and help to address key environmental and conservation problems. Reflecting this highly active field of research, the book incorporates the latest developments from informatics and statistics, as well as using data from remote sources such as satellite imagery. A website at www.unil.ch/hsdm contains the codes and supporting material required to run the examples and teach courses.
Download or read book The Structure and Dynamics of Geographic Ranges written by Kevin J. Gaston and published by Oxford University Press, USA. This book was released on 2003 with total page 278 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A synthesis of present understanding of the structure of the geographic ranges of species, which is a core issue in ecology and biogeography with implications for many of the environmental issues presently facing humankind.
Download or read book Conservation Genetics written by V. Loeschcke and published by Birkhäuser. This book was released on 2013-03-11 with total page 427 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: It follows naturally from the widely accepted Darwinian dictum that failures of populations or of species to adapt and to evolve under changing environments will result in their extinction. Population geneti cists have proclaimed a centerstage role in developing conservation biology theory and applications. However, we must critically reexamine what we know and how we can make rational contributions. We ask: Is genetic variation really important for the persistence of species? Has any species become extinct because it ran out of genetic variation or because of inbreeding depression? Are demographic and environmental stochas ticity by far more important for the fate of a population or species than genetic stochasticity (genetic drift and inbreeding)? Is there more to genetics than being a tool for assessing reproductive units and migration rates? Does conventional wisdom on inbreeding and "magic numbers" or rules of thumb on critical effective population sizes (MVP estimators) reflect any useful guidelines in conservation biology? What messages or guidelines from genetics can we reliably provide to those that work with conservation in practice? Is empirical work on numerous threatened habitats and taxa gathering population genetic information that we can use to test these guidelines? These and other questions were raised in the invitation to a symposium on conservation genetics held in May 1993 in pleasant surroundings at an old manor house in southern Jutland, Denmark.
Download or read book Adaptation During Range Expansion written by Cinnamon Mittan and published by . This book was released on 2021 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The evolutionary processes underlying range expansion is a fundamental question in evolutionary biology. Range limits of a species are set by both abiotic and biotic factors, and these limits are constantly in flux. Here, I use genetic data to examine the consequences of range expansion at both deep evolutionary scales (millions of years), and microevolutionary scales (tens of generations), using amphibians as a model system. In the first chapter, I use phylogenetic analyses to examine the drivers of diversification in a neotropical genus of treefrogs (Boana). I find that at the continental scale changes to topography, and climatic oscillations interacted to facilitate range expansion, and subsequent speciation of frogs inhabiting distinct biomes in South America. In chapters two, three, and four, I use the introduced species, the cane toad (Rhinella marina) to investigate rapid adaptation during range expansion. In chapter two, I use experimental physiology to demonstrate that cane toads at the northern Florida range edge are more tolerant of cold temperatures, suggesting that rapid adaptation may facilitate range-expansion in the coldest place cane toads are found. In chapter three, I examine the global context of cane toad introductions in the USA and Caribbean using next-generation sequencing to compare and contrast demographic history and selection across the native range, and parallel introductions. I find evidence for some parallel adaptations across introductions, as well as signatures of historical admixture, which may have increased genetic diversity in introductions. In chapter four, I focus on the introduction of cane toads to Florida, USA. I find signatures of selection associated with environmental gradients across the range, and population structure consistent with a singular introduction and subsequent range-expansion into cooler, drier environments. Thus, the maintenance of genetic diversity following introduction, and adaptation to novel conditions appear to facilitate the spread of this species over short time scales. Understanding the evolutionary processes at range-edges is critical both for the field of evolutionary biology, as well as for the conservation of the many organisms expected to face novel environmental conditions due to climate change.
Download or read book The Princeton Guide to Evolution written by David A. Baum and published by Princeton University Press. This book was released on 2017-03-21 with total page 886 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The essential one-volume reference to evolution The Princeton Guide to Evolution is a comprehensive, concise, and authoritative reference to the major subjects and key concepts in evolutionary biology, from genes to mass extinctions. Edited by a distinguished team of evolutionary biologists, with contributions from leading researchers, the guide contains some 100 clear, accurate, and up-to-date articles on the most important topics in seven major areas: phylogenetics and the history of life; selection and adaptation; evolutionary processes; genes, genomes, and phenotypes; speciation and macroevolution; evolution of behavior, society, and humans; and evolution and modern society. Complete with more than 100 illustrations (including eight pages in color), glossaries of key terms, suggestions for further reading on each topic, and an index, this is an essential volume for undergraduate and graduate students, scientists in related fields, and anyone else with a serious interest in evolution. Explains key topics in some 100 concise and authoritative articles written by a team of leading evolutionary biologists Contains more than 100 illustrations, including eight pages in color Each article includes an outline, glossary, bibliography, and cross-references Covers phylogenetics and the history of life; selection and adaptation; evolutionary processes; genes, genomes, and phenotypes; speciation and macroevolution; evolution of behavior, society, and humans; and evolution and modern society
Download or read book A Practical Guide for Genetic Management of Fragmented Animal and Plant Populations written by Richard Frankham and published by Oxford University Press, USA. This book was released on 2019 with total page 197 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "The biological diversity of the planet is being rapidly depleted due to the direct and indirect consequences of human activity. As the size of wild animal and plant populations decreases and fragmentation increases, inbreeding reduces fitness and loss of genetic diversity reduces their ability to adapt to changes in the environment. Many small isolated populations are going extinct unnecessarily. In many cases, such populations can be genetically rescued by gene flow from another population within the species, but this is very rarely done. This book provides a practical guide to the genetic management of fragmented animal and plant populations"--
Download or read book Genetic Management of Fragmented Animal and Plant Populations written by Richard Frankham and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2017-07-04 with total page 426 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: One of the greatest unmet challenges in conservation biology is the genetic management of fragmented populations of threatened animal and plant species. More than a million small, isolated, population fragments of threatened species are likely suffering inbreeding depression and loss of evolutionary potential, resulting in elevated extinction risks. Although these effects can often be reversed by re-establishing gene flow between population fragments, managers very rarely do this. On the contrary, genetic methods are used mainly to document genetic differentiation among populations, with most studies concluding that genetically differentiated populations should be managed separately, thereby isolating them yet further and dooming many to eventual extinction! Many small population fragments are going extinct principally for genetic reasons. Although the rapidly advancing field of molecular genetics is continually providing new tools to measure the extent of population fragmentation and its genetic consequences, adequate guidance on how to use these data for effective conservation is still lacking. This accessible, authoritative text is aimed at senior undergraduate and graduate students interested in conservation biology, conservation genetics, and wildlife management. It will also be of particular relevance to conservation practitioners and natural resource managers, as well as a broader academic audience of conservation biologists and evolutionary ecologists.
Download or read book Self limitation as an Explanation for Species Relative Abundances and the Long term Persistence of Rare Species written by Glenda Marie Yenni and published by . This book was released on 2013 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Much of ecological theory describes species interactions. These interactions often play an important theoretical role in facilitating coexistence. In particular, rarity in ecological communities, though often observed, provides a significant challenge to theoretical and empirical ecologists alike. I use a plant community model to simulate the effect of stronger negative frequency dependence on the long-term persistence of the rare species in a simulated community. This strong self-limitation produces long persistence times for the rare competitor, which otherwise succumb quickly to stochastic extinction. The results suggest that the mechanism causing species to be rare in this case is the same mechanism allowing those species to persist. To determine if ecological communities generally show the theoretical pattern, I estimate the strength of frequency-dependent population dynamics using species abundance data from 90 communities across a broad range of environments and taxonomic groups. In approximately half of the analyzed communities, rare species showed disproportionately strong negative frequency dependence. In particular, a pattern of increasing frequency dependence with decreasing relative abundance was seen in these communities, signaling the importance of this mechanism for rare species specifically. Insight into the special population dynamics of rare species will inform conservation efforts in response to climate change and other disturbance. Further difficulties in the detection of theoretical patterns in ecological data may be a result of the ecological currency used. Though ecologists typically use abundance data to test theories, energy use is another ecological currency that may be more relevant in some cases. In particular when detecting patterns that are a result of species interactions, the currency used should be the one in which those interactions actually operate. I compare the results of using abundance and energy use to detect two processes with well-defined expectations. The first is a description of population dynamics, the above described relationship between relative abundance and self-limitation. The second, compensatory dynamics, is a description of community-level dynamics. I find that the currency used alters the results, and thus the species-level implications. It does not, however, alter the overall pattern that would have theoretical implications. Results in both currencies support the pattern of strong self-limitation for persistent rare species.
Download or read book Predicting and Managing Climate Driven Range Shifts in Plants written by Amy L. Angert and published by Frontiers Media SA. This book was released on 2022-03-17 with total page 175 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Population Dynamics for Conservation written by Louis W. Botsford and published by Oxford University Press, USA. This book was released on 2019-10 with total page 353 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book outlines concepts such as population variability, population stability, population viability and persistance, and harvest yield. Also addressed are specific applications to conservation such as managing species at risk, fishery management, and the spatial manageement of marine resources.--Adapted from back cover.
Download or read book Evolutionary Conservation Genetics written by Jacob Höglund and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2009-03-19 with total page 200 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Conservation genetics focuses on understanding the role of genetic variation for population persistence. This book is about the methods used to study genetic variation in endangered species and whether genetic variation matters in the extinction of species.
Download or read book Neotropical Diversification Patterns and Processes written by Valentí Rull and published by Springer Nature. This book was released on 2020-03-30 with total page 816 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book provides a comprehensive overview of the patterns of biodiversity in various neotropical ecosystems, as well as a discussion on their historical biogeographies and underlying diversification processes. All chapters were written by prominent researchers in the fields of tropical biology, molecular ecology, climatology, paleoecology, and geography, producing an outstanding collection of essays, synthetic analyses, and novel investigations that describe and improve our understanding of the biodiversity of this unique region. With chapters on the Amazon and Caribbean forests, the Atlantic rainforests, the Andes, the Cerrado savannahs, the Caatinga drylands, the Chaco, and Mesoamerica – along with broad taxonomic coverage – this book summarizes a wide range of hypotheses, views, and methods concerning the processes and mechanisms of neotropical diversification. The range of perspectives presented makes the book a truly comprehensive, state-of-the-art publication on the topic, which will fascinate both scientists and general readers alike.
Download or read book Genetics and the Extinction of Species written by Laura Landweber and published by Princeton University Press. This book was released on 1999-07-21 with total page 212 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this collection, a team of leading biologists demonstrates why the burgeoning field of conservation biology must continue to rely on the insights of population genetics if we are to preserve the diversity of living species.
Download or read book Endemic Species written by Eusebio Cano Carmona and published by BoD – Books on Demand. This book was released on 2019-12-18 with total page 190 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book consists of several thematic groups, including botany, zoology and topics related to human health. In regards to botany, chapters discuss endemic plants of Bolivia, Mexico, Italy and the Caribbean. They show the diversity, distribution and conservation of many species. In regards to zoology, the book highlights endemic primates and reptiles. Additionally, the book presents other environmental issues relevant to conservation. This volume also presents topics related to health, some of which are relevant for their implications on health and the economy, is the case of the presence of toxins in the Pacific plankton.All chapters present relevant content for future research or because they are fundamental for territorial management.
Download or read book Encyclopedia of the World s Biomes written by and published by Elsevier. This book was released on 2020-06-26 with total page 3542 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Encyclopedia of the World’s Biomes is a unique, five volume reference that provides a global synthesis of biomes, including the latest science. All of the book's chapters follow a common thematic order that spans biodiversity importance, principal anthropogenic stressors and trends, changing climatic conditions, and conservation strategies for maintaining biomes in an increasingly human-dominated world. This work is a one-stop shop that gives users access to up-to-date, informative articles that go deeper in content than any currently available publication. Offers students and researchers a one-stop shop for information currently only available in scattered or non-technical sources Authored and edited by top scientists in the field Concisely written to guide the reader though the topic Includes meaningful illustrations and suggests further reading for those needing more specific information
